A recent injury in Super Rugby to Joseph Sua'ali'i means the odds stacked against him to play against the British & Irish Lions.
Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies are sweating on the fitness of Joseph Sua’ali’i ahead of the British & Irish Lions’ visit to Australia.
Last Friday night the 21-year-old was stretchered off in the NSW Waratahs’ 28-21 loss to the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby Pacific.
A collision with his Waratahs teammate Andrew Kellaway left the former NRL superstar stricken and could have dire consequences for Australia’s Test series hopes against Andy Farrell’s Lions.
Initially it was hoped that the worst of Sua’ali’i’s injuries was a concussion but in the days that have followed the versatile back developed soreness that was investigated by specialists.
On Wednesday 14 May the Super Rugby Pacific team announced that their star player had a small undisplaced fracture of the jaw that requires surgery.
The operation aims to reinforce the affected area. After a four week period the results will be reviewed and his potential return to play will be assessed.
Read more: The full British & Irish Lions squad set for Australia
Who is Joseph Sua’ali’i, the new golden boy of Australian rugby?
Sua’ali’i’s arrival to rugby union at the end of 2024 was as high-profile as it gets.
For two years the 21-year-old was the subject of interest from Rugby Australia, who looked to lure a star name from NRL to the 15-a-side game and reignite interest in rugby union in the country.
A former schoolboy rugby standout, Rugby Australia got their man and tied him down to a contract believed to be worth AUS$5.35 million over three years in a move move across codes was compared alongside to those of Sonny Bill Williams’ and Lote Tuqiri.
Just a month after concluding the 2024 NRL season with the Sydney Roosters, Schmidt named Sua’ali’i in his Autumn Nations Series squad and was Player of the Match in the Wallabies’ 42-37 win at Allianz Stadium against England. In the weeks that followed, he came off the bench against Wales and started in losses to Scotland and Ireland.
See more: Who will the Lions play in Australia?
Joseph Suaalii of the Waratahs is one of the stars of Super Rugby Pacific. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
In a short space of time Sua’ali’i had established himself as a star, which makes the prospect of him potentially missing the highly-anticipated Test series against the Lions all the more frightening.
The initial prognosis of four weeks on the sideline means that Sua’ali’i will miss the remainder of the Super Rugby season.
Should the 21-year-old come through that four-week period and passed fit to play, just how he gets back to match fitness is the next question.
A fortnight before the opening Test in Brisbane on Sunday 19 July, the Wallabies are due to host Fiji at the Newcastle International Sports Centre and could offer Sua’ali’i with the chance to prove his readiness to Schmidt.
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